Ukraine Strikes Kapotnya Oil Refinery in Moscow, Russia Says It Shot Down 555 Drones

Ukraine launched a large-scale drone attack on Moscow on Thursday that struck the Kapotnya district oil refinery, sending plumes of black smoke over the Russian capital and prompting Russia to say it shot down at least 555 Ukrainian drones.

“Ukraine strikes Moscow oil refinery in large-scale drone attack, with Zelenskyy saying it's 'time the war ended' Russia's Ministry of Defense said it shot down at least 555 Ukrainian drones”

ABC News

ABC News reported that Russia’s Ministry of Defense said its defenses destroyed some 555 drones in the early morning hours, while Moscow mayor Sergei Sobyanin said about 180 were shot down as they approached Moscow.

ABC News

The BBC said Moscow residents complained of black rain after the refinery was hit during the largest Ukrainian attack since the start of the full-scale war, with close to 200 drones fired towards the Russian capital and 17 people wounded in the Moscow region.

CNN reported that air defenses shot down at least 194 drones bound for the Russian capital overnight into Thursday, and said the barrage left at least 17 people injured.

Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy framed the strike as retaliation and said, "It is time the war ended, and Russia must take the necessary steps in diplomacy."

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov pledged frequent and "massive group strikes" against Ukraine shortly after Kyiv launched the Moscow barrage, telling reporters that Russia would now conduct massive group strikes on a regular basis against targets affecting Ukraine’s combat readiness.

In response, Zelenskyy said on social media that the attack was a "fully justified response to Russian attacks on our cities and communities," and he added that it was "another important result of our warriors' work against facilities that sustain Russia’s war machine."

Al Jazeera

The BBC also quoted Moscow authorities denying any "oil rain" had been falling, while the city’s official Telegram channel warned residents in the affected district to keep their windows closed and urged families with children, elderly people and asthmatics to leave the area.

CNN described residents in southeastern Moscow near the Kapotnya refinery saying they woke to explosions, heavy smoke and a strong smell of burning, with 25-year-old Natalya Klimova telling CNN, "The smell is terrible. We closed the windows, but it’s still hard to breathe inside the apartment."

The BBC reported that Moscow’s four airports were temporarily shut and more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed, as videos circulated online despite local authorities banning publication of images of the aftermath of drone strikes.

The attack’s immediate operational impact included disruptions to civilian movement, with NBC News reporting that local commercial flights were disrupted and that Moscow airports went into temporary shutdown, while the BBC said Moscow’s four airports were temporarily shut and more than 500 flights were cancelled or delayed.

“Russia has renewed its strikes on Ukraine, killing three people including an eight-year-old girl, Ukrainian officials said”

Al Jazeera

Ukraine’s long-range campaign was described as targeting Russian energy infrastructure, with CBS News saying the Moscow Oil Refinery accounts for more than a third of the fuel market of the capital region and that it was last attacked by Ukrainian drones on June 16.

The Guardian said the refinery supplies up to 40% of the capital’s petrol and about half of its diesel fuel, and it reported that Russian authorities said 17 injuries, while describing damage to a high-rise residential building, an industrial facility and several private homes.

Looking ahead, the Kyiv Independent reported that on June 19 Ukraine targeted Moscow again, with Mayor Sergey Sobyanin reporting 37 unmanned aerial vehicles shot down by the city’s air defense in the afternoon strike.

The Kyiv Independent also said Ukraine’s General Staff confirmed the Moscow Oil Refinery had shut down operations indefinitely after the June 18 strike, and it added that the facility had suspended oil processing operations for "an indefinite period," while the General Staff said Ukrainian forces struck railway bridges near Rozdolne and Vladyslavivka in occupied Crimea.